POLITICS

Charter amendments should be made by article: House Speaker

The Nation

Somsak

BANGKOK: -- House Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon said Monday that charter amendments should be made on an article-by-article basis to avoid legal trouble following the Constitution Court's ruling.

Somsak said he had given an interview after the Constitution Court ruling saying that the entire charter could not be rewritten unless a public referendum was held first.

Somsak said that if the charter were to be amended by a few articles at a time, it would require further legal interpretation.

Somsak said the Parliament Secretariat has been preparing to seek a budget of Bt1 billion because it was expected that the amendment bill would be passed during the third reading.

If the third reading goes ahead, the budget preparation would not cause any problem, Somsak said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said on Monday that amending the Constitution article by article would be faster than setting up a constitution drafting assembly to rewrite the entire charter.

Deputy Prime Minister and Pheu Thai leader Yongyuth Wichaidit said the Cabinet did not discuss charter amendments during its mobile meeting in Surin Monday.

Yongyuth said the Cabinet would leave it to coalition whips to discuss what to do next following the Constitution Court's ruling that a new draft charter should not be written unless a public referendum is held first. Senate whips would also be consulted, Yongyuth said.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua, a red-shirt, leader said the opinions of red-shirt people would have to be sought if the Pheu Thai resolved to amend the charter by a few articles at a time.

Natthawut said the red-shirt leaders would consult the people as to which articles they want to change.

-- The Nation 2012-07-30

Deputy Agriculture Minister Natthawut Saikua, a red-shirt, leader said the opinions of red-shirt people would have to be sought if the Pheu Thai resolved to amend the charter by a few articles at a time.

Natthawut said the red-shirt leaders would consult the people as to which articles they want to change.

As usual, Nutty doesn't understand that (a) the red shirts are not 'the people' & ( they were not elected.

How many articles in the Constitution?

They will have to hang around a long time to rewrite them all I guess, like decades. This is what the CC threw back at Parliament. I hope they have enlarged the post room at the CC, because, I can see that ThaiPost and EMS is going to do very well out of this.

Charter amendments should be made to those articles people agree in a decent majority that modification and/or clarification is needed. IMHO

Charter amendments should be made to those articles people agree in a decent majority that modification and/or clarification is needed. IMHO

On an issue like this "should" is a nonsense word. Not against you, but the headline, and the legal meaning.

Edited July 30, 201213 yr by Thai at Heart